


Valentine's Day

by DerKnochenbrecher



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, background AsaNoya and DaiSuga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 15:02:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6013087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerKnochenbrecher/pseuds/DerKnochenbrecher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day is coming up and Kiyoko isn't sure what to do for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine's Day

Kiyoko had been sure she was hiding her worry. It was, after all, over something that didn’t really concern anyone else – and she didn’t want anyone else to start worrying over it, either. That would have just made everything worse. Of course, she was plenty able to fret on her own – especially since she had left it until only a week was left. She hadn’t meant to, of course, but they had all been so busy, and even with the work divided between herself and Hitoka…

 

Despite her best efforts, though, something must have shown on her face. A hand brushed her shoulder and she whirled around faster than she had meant to. Sugawara blinked as he pulled his hand back.

 

“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

 

“It’s all right,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “Can I help you?”

 

He tilted his head. “No, it just looked like you were worried over something?”

 

The gym was still echoing with the sounds of volleyballs ricocheting everywhere and Hinata yelling, so Kiyoko was fairly sure they wouldn’t be overheard. And yet, sure as anything, Nishinoya and Tanaka did overhear, and gravitated towards her. Their expressions were their best attempts at innocence and concern.

 

“There’s something wrong, Kiyoko-san?” Tanaka asked.

 

They were crowding around her and she took a step back. Sugawara noticed this, grabbing the second years’ shirt collars.

 

“Down,” he said.

 

“It’s okay,” she said. “And no… there was just something I was thinking about.”

 

“Anything we can help with?” Nishinoya asked.

 

Kiyoko hesitated, but maybe they could help. She could feel the blush creeping over her cheeks.

 

“I – I’m having trouble deciding what to give Hitoka-chan for Valentine’s Day,” she said. It was such a silly thing, and she hesitated speaking aloud even though Hitoka had left practice early to give herself some time to study for an upcoming test. “I’m just… having trouble deciding what to get her.”

 

Tanaka made a sound like he was thinking, most likely putting more thought to this than the majority of his homework. “Kiyoko-san buys chocolate, right?”

 

“Yes,” she said. “I’m not very good at making sweets even if I do follow a recipe.” It just never turned out well enough to share with others, even though she was confident in her ability to cook meals.

 

“Then wouldn’t it be easy just to buy her something more expensive?” Nishinoya offered.

 

“I had thought of it,” Kiyoko said. “But I don’t think it would be right. I want it to be something special – and chocolate is what I get you guys.”

 

Both Tanaka and Noya clenched their fists dramatically.

 

“Kiyoko-san is getting us chocolates again this year,” Tanaka said.

 

“We have done well for ourselves,” Nishinoya agreed. “We must show her our appreciation by getting her something amazing for White Day.”

 

Tanaka nodded.

 

Sugawara seemed like he was trying to resist rolling his eyes. “Kiyoko always gets us obligatory chocolates.”

 

“Yes,” she said. “This is the first time I need to differentiate between _girichoco_ and _honmeichoco_ so I wanted to do something special for Hitoka-chan…”

 

A thought occurred to her, and she hesitated for a moment, toying with her fingers. But they were her friends, so perhaps they would forgive a more intrusive question.

 

“Uhm… What do you guys get your boyfriends?”

 

Immediately Nishinoya blushed. It was something else entirely to hear that statement from another person, she knew, and even a loud, honest person like Noya could be taken aback by such a question. Though Kiyoko knew very well that if Asahi had heard, he would have been even redder.

 

“Asahi-san makes really good chocolate,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “So he makes it for me and I get him… something… in exchange.”

 

Kiyoko got the feeling that Asahi was the better gift-giver of the two.

 

Sugawara tilted his head. “That’s the usual thing,” he said. “But to be honest, I don’t usually get anything sweet for Daichi, since neither of us like sweets that much. I think anything homemade would be a good gift. Is there anything in particular Yachi would want?”

 

“By that logic, I bet even a meal or something would be good,” Tanaka said. “It’s not traditional, but it could work, right?”

 

Suga nodded. “Though, for some reason Daichi’s said I don’t need to cook anything for him…”

 

Probably because he doesn’t want you to burn off his taste buds, Kiyoko thought. She said nothing, though, and she considered the preposition. She could make a bento or something, and she’d probably be good at it. But Hitoka was used to making her own lunches – what if she took it as an insult?

 

She worried at her fingers, thinking it over. Sugawara patted her shoulder.

 

“You’ve got time,” he said. “And you’ll think of something. For now – let’s finish up here so we can go home.”

 

The thought kept pestering her, even as she was walking home through the dark streets, the plumes of her breath turning orange in the light from the streetlamps. She had shoved her fists as deep into her pockets as she could, the cold biting at her. It was colder than it felt normally, she thought, even though the rest of the year had been rather warm. The late hour wasn’t helping, either. She hoped Hitoka was keeping warm…

 

A thought occurred to her. It would take some effort, and if she had thought about it before she probably would have started much earlier to give herself the necessary time, but it was better than no plan at all. She would have to start as soon as she could, though, and the first place she would need to go was a craft supply store.

 

Her resolution in place, she walked home a little faster than normal. If she was to do this, she would need to get as much homework out of the way as possible. But it was doable, she reminded herself. If Karasuno could get to Nationals, then surely she could do something as simple as this.

 

*

It took Kiyoko a while to get used to knitting again – so much so that she was worried she wouldn’t be able to make it in time. She found herself using every moment she had to herself to do it, and once she hit her rhythm it became easier. She finished the first piece relatively quickly, and was relatively certain that she could have given it to Hitoka alone, but looking at the neatly folded bundle she had made of it, it looked very small. So instead of resting she took her needles out once again, and kept at it. If anyone noticed the slight bruising under her eyes from the lack of sleep that resulted, then – she would find something to explain it away.

 

But no one seemed to notice anything wrong, so she brought no focus onto it herself. And then, before she really could have thought possible, it was already the thirteenth.

 

Since Valentine’s Day was a Sunday, she and Hitoka had agreed to bring their _girichoco_ for the boys on Saturday. The team, of course, was overjoyed at receiving their gifts, even if it wasn’t homemade, and even if most of them had gotten chocolates from other classmates earlier. The cards Hitoka had made to go with were well-designed as always, a corner of which was taken up by the image of a crow with a deep pink ribbon around its neck. They made Kiyoko feel like hers were a little plain, done up in her best calligraphy, but then again Hitoka’s were too cute – and accurate – to bear any ill will towards.

 

It made Kiyoko quietly happy to see Hitoka as blushing and exuberant as the rest of them. She hoped Hitoka would be as happy receiving her gift as she was now.

 

Kiyoko walked part of the way home with Hitoka after practice that night, holding her cold hands. Hitoka was still bright red, her breath in clouds around her as she talked and laughed. When they passed under a streetlight, Kiyoko couldn’t help but stare at her face – how the light shone in her hair, the way the shadows around her mouth moved, her eyes…

 

It has hard to let go of her hand, and only an affirmation that they would meet each other tomorrow in the park, as promised, kept her from insisting on doing something untoward.

 

As soon as she got home, without even letting the cold leave her cheeks, Kiyoko set back to working on her knitting. She didn’t have much more to do, but if she wanted to get it all done she knew she had to do it all while she was still enthusiastic about it – and while the memory of Hitoka’s cold fingers was still in her mind.

 

At the very least, it didn’t take her all night, and it was only at around midnight that she snipped the last string of yarn. It wasn’t bad, for her first time knitting since middle school – even if she’d needed multiple attempts at the beginning. She folded the red knitwear together and tucked them into the bag she had bought for them and set it aside for the morning. It was good she would have so much time to rest – she had a date the next day, after all. And she wanted to be ready for it.

 

*

 

It wasn’t as cold the next day, but still enough for Kiyoko to see a small burst of mist when she breathed out. Clutching the paper bag to her chest, she half-jogged through the park, searching for Hitoka or their meeting spot – whichever she saw first.

 

“Hitoka-chan!” she called.

 

Hitoka, sitting on the bench and fretting her fingers, looked up like she’d just received an electric shock.

 

“Ah – Shimi- Kiyoko- Kiyoko-chan!” Hitoka said, looking everywhere but at Kiyoko as her face turned red. “I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to keep you waiting – “

 

Kiyoko couldn’t help but laugh, hiding it behind her hand. Hitoka’s nervousness could express itself in the most adorable of ways.

 

“You were here first, Hitoka-chan,” Kiyoko said. “I should be saying that to you,”

 

“O-oh,” she said. She looked down at her lap, cheeks burning. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, repeating the gesture when the same strand slipped out again. “I – I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be this nervous.”

 

“It’s okay,” Kiyoko said, taking a seat next to her. “Truth be told, I’m just as nervous as you are.”

 

“Eh?” Hitoka said. “But Kiyoko-chan is always so well put together-!”

 

Kiyoko shook her head. “I’m really very nervous about today. I worked hard on this gift for you, so I’m nervous you won’t like it.” She looked away, unable to meet Hitoka’s eye.

 

“Of course I will!” Hitoka said. She reached out with a slightly trembling hand, brushing Kiyoko’s gloved fingers.

 

Kiyoko smiled at her, and held the bag out to her. “Then… would you please accept my feelings?

 

Hitoka blinked as she took the bag – were those tears in her eyes? – and slowly peeled away the gold seal-sticker. The redness in her cheeks didn’t fade in the slightest. By the time she’d actually removed the scarf and the mitts, her face was the same shade as the yarn.

 

In a mirror of Hitoka’s earlier gesture, Kiyoko tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

 

“I haven’t knit in a long time,” Kiyoko said, talking quickly so as to delay seeing Hitoka’s reaction. “So I – I’m terribly sorry if they’re not especially good…”

 

“Oh, no!” Hitoka said, her voice turning into a squeak. “I love them, really! And even more so because you made them.”

 

Kiyoko felt her lips twinge into a smile. “I’m glad,” she said.

 

Hitoka wrapped the scarf around her neck, burrowing her face into it. “I didn’t know you could knit at all,” she said. “But I’m really happy…”

 

She slipped the mittens on. Kiyoko was relieved to see that they fit. The scarf was a good length, too.

 

Kiyoko caught her eye, and they both paused, looking at the other and not saying a word. Then Kiyoko reached out and help Hitoka’s hand. Hitoka tightened her grip in return.

 

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to top this for White Day,” she said. “But I’ll try!”

 

“Good,” Kiyoko said. “I’m glad.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been so busy with schoolwork that I almost didn't get this finished on time! I love when Japanese Valentine's Day makes an appearance in manga. I think the cutest were the Valentine's chapters of Cardcaptor Sakura!
> 
> My Valentine's Day was spent writing an essay, eating delicious chocolates from the local chocolate company, courtesy of my mum, and watching Howl's Moving Castle. That's student life for you, isn't it? I hope you guys had a good day, no matter who you spent it with!


End file.
